Sixers fall to Nets 122-97: Key numbers that defined the loss

Sixers fall to Nets 122-97: Key numbers that defined the loss

The Philadelphia 76ers’ 122-97 loss against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday was most notably marked by yet another ugly single quarter.

The Sixers didn’t defend the 3-point line well, and the Nets also scored with ease in transition. With the loss to the Nets, the Sixers still haven’t won a game on the road this season, leaving them alongside only the Cleveland Cavaliers as Eastern Conference teams who are winless on the road.

With the team’s two-game win streak snapped, let’s look at the numbers that played a role in this loss.

41: Points given up to Nets in third quarter

The Sixers were down 51-47 heading into halftime, and they were positioned to have a solid second half. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid both had 13 points, and the team was shooting 53.6 percent from the field.

Still, Philadelphia didn’t make a 3-pointer in the first half, and also had committed 17 turnovers.

The Nets made five of their nine 3-pointers in the third quarter and went on a 10-5 run in the quarter to go up 79-66 with 3:31 remaining in the frame.

Though the Nets shot 32.1 percent from the 3-point line, the Sixers didn’t defend the arc well in the quarter. The 41 points they gave up tied for the second-most they’ve allowed in a quarter this season, with the other occurrence coming against the Chicago Bulls on October 18.

4: Total 3-pointers made en route to shooting 20 percent

The Sixers made a season-low four 3-pointers with their first one coming from rookie Landry Shamet during the third quarter.

Along with Shamet – who made two of the team’s four threes – JJ Redick and Amir Johnson had one 3-pointer apiece. Redick, one of the team’s best shooters, shot a season-low 16.6 percent from beyond the arc.

A lack of consistent shooting has plagued the Sixers to start this season, as they have shot 33.8 percent from the outside.

While the Sixers haven’t shot well from three, they are also ranked in the top five of the league for 3-pointers attempted. Having more consistent shooting will be important going forward, particularly if they’re going to be at the top of the league in 3-point attempts.

27: Sixers’ turnovers

NOTE: A previous version of this article said that the Sixers committed a season-high 28 turnovers. The article has been corrected to show the Sixers’ correct number of turnovers.

The Sixers committed a season-high number of turnovers in the loss, with Embiid, Simmons and Robert Covington accounting for 15 of the team’s 27.

Though the Sixers had more points off turnovers than the Nets, Brooklyn had more assists. A big reason for the Nets’ success in the third was because of their ball movement. They had 27 assists during the game, and the Sixers had a season-low 16.

With the Sixers posting their most turnovers in a single game this year, they’ve now had double-figure turnovers in every game. Philly entered Sunday’s game ranked No. 28 in the league in the category with 153, ahead of only the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors.